Tom Dowling, managing director of the Pittsburgh office of public relations firm Burson-Marsteller, deliberated in his Gateway Center office last week as deadlines loomed for several key year-end and holiday-related decisions.

For more than three decades, Nick Cutter has held a holiday party for his employees, hosting up to 1,200 people with an open bar, door prizes and live entertainment at large venues such as the Coral Ballroom at Waikiki’s Hilton Hawaiian …

For many companies, the office holiday party is an opportunity to show employees a good time and celebrate success, with lavish fetes in hotels, on cruise ships or at high-end restaurants. However, with …

Instead of elaborate sit-down dinners with open bars, some corporations are opting for scaled-back holiday parties this season as they try to do something nice for their employees while recognizing the realities of an economy that is teetering toward …